Lifter and carrier



Feb. 6, 1945. R. F. FINK 2,368,978

LIFTER AND CARRIER Filed May a, 1944 I RALPH F. Fmk.

Patented Feb. 6, 1945 2-,3 s,97s I zjsamii LIFTER'AND CARRIE-m a grid? to Toralf Wafii'iii, St. ram", Mimi.

; claims. 31. iii-'46) This invention relates to article lifting and handling devices and the primary object is to" provide a simple; practical and convenient device which may beused for lifting; carrying andhandling, such articles as boxe's; bales; car

tons and other generally rectangular or rec tiline'ar heavy and bulky o jects whichare diffi-" cultto grip and lift by hand. I To this end the invention residesin the pro:

- vision-of spaced, hingedly coimected arm's hav ing handles at inner, connected ends and the outer ends at which arms arejoined by elongated grippingplates; all' so arranged that manipula' tion. of the handles cause the arms/to draw the gripping. plates into tight c1amping' eng-age-* ment with the opposite-sides? of an article Whichistobelifted. Such gripping o'r clamping en: gagemen-t oi the plates with thearti'cle will be maintained so long as: thehandlesalre held and litted, andthe article may thus be oarriedwhen ever necessary and-then released by opening the device. a

Another object of my invention is to provide means for adjusting the device to the size of the articles to belifted. A further object is to provide means for limiting the clamping or gripping action when the articles being handled are of a fragile nature, liable to injury should the gripping plates bear too hard o the sides of the article.

Still a further object is to provide a lifter and carrier of this nature wherein the handles are offset and staggered in such manner as to facilitate balancing and manipulation of the load.

These and other more detailed and specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of my lifter and carrier, showing the same in operative'position upon a box or carton, the latter being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the arms of my device, showing one means for effecting length or size adjustment of the device.

Fig. 3 is a, fragmentary end view of another modification of my device, showing means for limiting the intensity of the gripping action.

Referring now more particularly and by reference characters to the drawing, A designates a lifting and carrying device constructed in accordance with my invention and adapted for use upon an article B such as a box, carton, bale or similar object having parallel sides.

The devices comprises two uplicate 6i grate" pairs or designatedgeneral at 5 and c and pair comprises two individual arias T ane- 8: These individual etrlhs- I ai-fdb of each pair sverlspipea and p ivstaiiy or hiiigedly connected atmass ends" by means; (if rivets or similar fasteners 9." The outeren'ds oi the arms are turiiedangula-i'ly downwardly asirrdi'cated at m and are riveted or otherwise suitably and rigidly secured to gripping plates or members It and I2-.- The gripping plates 'll and :2 are elongated; fiat rectangular shapes and may have their inner si'irfaces roughened or ridged as indicated at I3; The plates may also be arcuate or curved in cross section in dicated' for the plate H in Fig; 3 where the resfilting; cbncaved inner surface I4 thus prc-i. v

v'id'ed will" facilitate gripping engagement the article to be lifted. However made it' will behot-ed that the-gripping plates I I arid IZ serv to rigidly connect the pairs 5 and 6 of and hold them in spacedands'parallel rel-sum; Attentioniscailled togthe' fact that the arms 1- each; pair 5 and-'6 arerelatively shorter than are the other arms 8 of the pairs and the longer arms are diagonally opposed or are connected to opposite gripping plates II and I2. Thus the pivots 9 are ofiset in opposite directions from a medial plane passing between the gripping plates II and I2. The importance of this arrangement will presently be made clear.

At their inner ends the longer arms 8 are ofiset or turned upwardly as indicated at I5 and then extended in the form of handles I6. The

handles may be rounded and roughened as shown obviously be spreadapart and arranged over op-' posite sides of the article B and then by lifting the handles I6 the arms will be angularly operated about their pivots 9 in such manner as to force the plates into tight clamping engagement with the article so that it may be lifted and carried from place to place as may be required. The relative 01f center relation of the pivots 9, caused by the difierence in length of the arms I and 8 and the opposite or diagonal relationship of the arms as described, is of great advantage indistributing the weight of the article and in balancing it, since the tendency which the load might have to swing about the center, were the extending handles I6 further facilitate the halancing of the load as it is carried, as will be obvious.

It may be desirable, in order'to adapt the device to the handling of articles of greatly varying widths, to provide for length adjustment of at least one arm of each pair 5 and 6. Thus, as seen in Fig, 2, I may make one arm, say that designated at 8 in two sections I1 and I8 overlapped and slidably related and one provided with a bolt l9 projecting through a slot 20 in the other. Obviously by tightening a. wing nut 2| on the bolt IS the arm sections may be secured in any relatively adjusted position lengthwise.

To secure the arm sections I1 and 18 from relative swinging movement or angular displacement they may be provided with lugs 22 and 23 and 1 with the lug on each section overlying the edge of the other, such movements will'be prevented.

Under some circumstances, as when the article being handled is of a fragile nature, it may be desirable to limit the clamping efiect of the grip ping plates I I and I2 upon the article. As shown in Fig. 3, this efiect may be accomplished by pivoting a link 24 to .the free end of each handle l6 and forming a loop 25 on the other end of the link to slidably embrace the arm I. A pin 26. is placed in any one of aseries of spaced openings 21 in arm I. to limit the inward movement of the loop 25 as the arms I and B buckle or swing about their hinge connection 9. By properly locating the pin 26 it will be obvious that the angular movement of the arms I and 8, bringing the gripping plates together, may be limited to prevent crushing the sides of the article being handled.

It is understood that suitable modifications may" hingedly connected at inner ends, gripping means on the outer ends of the arms, and handles extending in opposite directions from one arm of each pair.

2. A lifting device comprising two parallel pairs of arms, the individual arms of each pair being hingedly connected at inner ends, gripping means on the outer ends of the arms, and a handle ex tending from one arm of each pair, said. handles being turned in opposite directions with respect to each other and extending from diagonally opposed arms of the respective pairs.

3. A lifting device comprising two pairs of arms; the individual arms of each pair being hingedly connected at inner ends and the inner end of one arm of each pair being ofiset and extended in the form of a handle, gripping plates secured to and rigidly connecting the outer ends of thearms, and the said handles being formed on diagonally opposite arms of each pair and turned in relatively opposite and. parallel relation with respect to each other.

4. A lifting device comprising two pairs of arms, one arm of each pair being longer than the other arm of that pair and the inner ends of the respectivearms being hingedly connected, gripping plates rigidly connecting the outer ends of the corresponding arms of each pair, and the longer arm of one pair being connected to the' same gripping plate a the shorter arm of the other pair;

'5. A lifting device comprising two pairs of arms, one arm of each pair being longer than the other arm of that pair and the inner ends of the respective arms being hingedly connected, gripping plates'rigidly connecting the outer ends of the corresponding arms of each pair, the longer arm of onepair being connected to the same gripping plate as the shorter arm of the other pair, and handles extending from and connected to the inner ends of the longer arm of each pair of arms.

RALPH 

